Toscana virus infections of the central nervous system in children: a report of 14 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the pathogenicity of a recently discovered arthropod-transmitted bunyavirus (Toscana virus) on the CNS in children and to provide information on the epidemiologic and clinical aspects of Toscana virus infection.


METHODS
Case-series analysis of children hospitalized with clinical and cerebrospinal fluid examination compatible with a CNS disease of viral origin.


METHODS
Cerebrospinal fluid, acute, and convalescent sera were investigated for conventional neurotropic viruses and for Toscana and tickborne encephalitis viruses. A clinical-epidemiologic analysis was carried out on confirmed Toscana virus cases to clarify the profile of Toscana virus infection in children.


RESULTS
The study indicates that (1) Toscana virus has been endemic in the Siena province for at least 15 years; (2) the virus is responsible for at least 80% of acute viral infections of the CNS in children throughout the summertime; (3) the clinical signs and symptoms range from aseptic meningitis to meningoencephalitis; (4) infected children resided habitually or temporarily in rural or suburban areas of the Siena province, where ecological characteristics allow arthropods to be peridomestic in human settlements.


CONCLUSIONS
Toscana virus is the most common viral agent involved in acute infections of CNS in children in central Italy.
Braito
A
A
Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Siena, Italy.
Corbisiero
R
R
Corradini
S
S
Fiorentini
C
C
Ciufolini
M G
MG
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016851:Orthobunyavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M